The present invention generally relates to systems for evaluating the frequency response of sensors of an acoustic line array and particularly to an apparatus for providing an impulsive force to be applied at any point of the elastic material of the acoustic array under test to evaluate its frequency response.
In the past, some success has been achieved in determining the step voltage response of an acoustic sensor embedded in an elastic material due to the impact of a known force at a point on the surface of the elastic material of an acoustic array. This technique has been used primarily to evaluate the effective surface area of the elastic material over which the embedded acoustic sensor responds. However, the technique is not readily adaptable to application to acoustic sensors embedded in long cylindrical line arrays. Furthermore, the technique does not permit a direct measure in frequency of the transfer function between the point surface excitation and the response of the acoustic sensor within the array. Thus it is desirable to have a simple means of experimentally determining the frequency response of the acoustic sensor embedded in an elastic material to an impulsive force supplied at any point on the elastic material of an acoustic array.